Thursday, August 18, 2011

Pivlock V90 Max, one word WOW!

I wasn't planning on doing  a review of these glasses for this post, but these are AWESOME! I've run and ridden in Maui Jim's, Oakley's, Tifosi's, and other Smith's for that matter, and the Pivlock V90 Max has rapidly become my favorite.

I have never cycled or run in a frameless glass before, but I'm hooked. The field of vision and airflow are stellar. I sweat like a horse, and with the 60 days of 100 degree plus temperatures we've had here in Dallas this summer these glasses have been a blessing. The air flow keeps my sweat to a minimum, and out of my eyes. This has long been one of my pet peeves of running or riding in sunglasses. At the same time I can't go outside without shades for even the shortest time.

They weigh in at less than an ounce, and come with 3 lenses, the main lens, a reddish all purpose/lower light lens called Ignitor, and a clear. The case is impressive, but overly big in my opinion, as you can't carry it very easily on the bike or on a run to change lenses. Changing lenses the first time is a bit nerve racking, because it feels like the lens is going to crack, but it doesn't, and after the first few time it's very easy to change them. For you optical clarity snobs, I find these on par with its competitors. Oakley's, in my opinion win the clarity battle, but the V90 is right there. The rubber nose piece and ear socks keep the glass in place, and they don't bounce around when running, which I HATE! The V90 Max fits medium to large faces. I have a large face and these fit great. For smaller faces there is a Pivlock V90, which is essentially the same glass in a smaller version.

I do have a few cons on this product, first is you have to carry the bag as a portable case, because the case is too big and frameless glasses don't lend them selves well to being unprotected when not in use. Secondly, I sooooo wish these had an available polarized lens!! Lastly, they are a little hard to clean, due to the lack of a frame there's nothing to hold on to while cleaning the lens. It takes a little practice to hold the edges and clean. All in all though, there is little chance you'd get me to trade these glasses for something else when cycling or running. Totally top notch.

Smith's website is here, and they can be found on twitter here.

2 comments:

  1. Good review. I love my Smith sliders (Theory). I've had them for a while and am in the market for an upgraded pair. Not sure if I'd go with the frameless, but it sounds like they have some nice features.
    Also, not sure if you've ever dealt with Smith's customer service, but it rocks!

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  2. Wow these sunglasses is awesome! But my favorite sunglasses are my Oakley Racing Jacket Series Model.

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